Plácido González – Heritage Conservation And Contemporary Architecture: Values, Criteria, Discussion

Through a critical heritage approach, this lecture analyzes the influence of dominant heritage discourses on both heritage conservation and contemporary architectural production, with a particular focus on where the two overlap. The conference aims to explore the heritage narratives underlying architectural design in a historical context beyond the connection to “fashions” or “trends”. The focus will be on the connection and the implications they entail, looking at architecture and heritage as a set of interests that include developers, designers, builders and users.

About Plácido

Plácido González Martínez is a renowned Doctor in Architecture and Urbanism, as well as a Distinguished Researcher ‘María Zambrano’ at the University of Seville. Currently on sabbatical leave, he has been a Professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Moreover, he holds the position of Vice-President of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS) and is the Executive Editor of the Built Heritage journal.

For over twenty years, González Martínez has dedicated his academic career to critical heritage studies in two main contexts:

In Spain (2023-2024), he is affiliated with the Department of History, Theory, and Architectural Composition at the University of Seville, funded by the EU’s Next Generation funds. His current research focuses on comparing heritage conservation between Spain and China, addressing topics such as urban regeneration and the critical study of the modern movement’s heritage.

In China (2016-2023), he was attached to the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University. During this period, he received a grant from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and led research on urban regeneration in Shanghai. He also participated in international projects, highlighting his collaboration on research concerning collective housing of the modern movement and modern industrial cities.

Earlier, in Spain (2002-2016), González Martínez worked at the University of Seville, leading research projects related to built heritage and other topics. A significant portion of his career unfolded at the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage.

Furthermore, he has been part of prominent commissions in the Spanish Ministry of Culture and has authored over 100 publications, among which stands out his book “”In Light of Hilberseimer””. He has been awarded accolades such as the prize from the XIV Biennial of Spanish Architecture 2018 and has been actively involved in meetings and conferences nationally and internationally.